The moment her words fell—
"So why do I remember you?"
Kael's mind went blank.
Not confusion.
Not shock.
Something worse.
It felt like a door inside his head had just been opened without permission.
A sharp pain exploded in his chest.
"Guh—!"
Kael dropped to one knee instantly, clutching his chest.
The First Forgotten Legend didn't move closer.
She only watched.
Carefully.
Like she was observing a phenomenon that should not exist.
The air around Kael darkened.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
The light above him dimmed, as if the world refused to look at him directly.
⚠️ SYSTEM ALERT
UNKNOWN SEAL REACTION DETECTED
HOST STATUS: UNSTABLE
The message flashed inside Kael's vision again.
But this time… it wasn't just in his mind.
The academy students nearby saw it too.
They froze.
"…Did the air just—glitch?"
"What kind of magic is that?!"
"That's not academy system!"
Kael's fingers trembled as he tried to breathe.
"I didn't… do anything…" he forced out.
But even he didn't believe it anymore.
The First Forgotten Legend slowly stepped forward.
Her chains shifted slightly under her blindfold.
"…It's reacting to me."
Kael looked up weakly. "What are you talking about…?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she knelt in front of him.
For the first time.
Eye level.
Dangerously close.
Then she said something that made the entire atmosphere freeze.
"There is something inside you that recognizes me."
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"…Inside me?"
The moment those words were spoken—
BOOM.
A pulse erupted from Kael's chest.
Invisible.
But powerful enough to throw nearby students backward.
Screams erupted instantly.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"HE ATTACKED WITHOUT MOVING!"
"GET BACK!"
The First Legend did not move back.
Her blindfold chain tightened.
"…So it is awake."
Kael's vision blurred.
And suddenly—
He wasn't in the academy anymore.
He was standing in darkness.
Endless.
Silent.
Then—
A massive structure appeared in front of him.
A throne.
Not made of stone.
Not made of metal.
But made of broken memories.
And behind the throne…
Something moved.
Something too large to fully see.
A voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere:
"You finally brought one back."
Kael spun around.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
No answer.
Only the sound of chains dragging across reality itself.
Then the voice spoke again.
Calmer this time.
Almost amused.
"You are breaking faster than expected… Kael Ardent."
Kael froze.
"…You know my name?"
A pause.
Then—
"Of course we do."
"We wrote it."
Back in the academy—
Kael's body suddenly went rigid.
His eyes lost focus.
He stopped moving completely.
The First Forgotten Legend's expression finally changed.
"…No."
She stood abruptly.
For the first time—
uncertainty.
One of the academy elders shouted:
"His life signals are unstable! Pull him out of the summoning state!"
But before anyone could move—
The summoning circle under Kael exploded with black light.
And the voice inside Kael's mind whispered one final line:
"Welcome back to the place you were sealed away from."
Kael's body tilted backward—
And fell into the broken circle.
Disappearing completely.
Silence.
Then chaos.
"He's gone?!"
"Where did he go?!"
"THE SUMMONING CRYSTAL JUST ATE HIM?!"
The First Forgotten Legend slowly stood up.
She stared at the empty space where Kael disappeared.
Then whispered:
"So they found him first."
Her chains cracked slightly.
Just one piece fell.
And for the first time…
fear appeared in her voice.
"That wasn't supposed to wake up yet."